Get to know the love lives of birds this Valentine’s Day

and preening with what seems like real affection. The characterful jackdaws, the smallest of the crow family, are common among the chimney pots their necks in their courtship rituals, bonding them together for life. Mallard duck courtship isn’t as beautiful with lots of vigorous head bobbing occurring before mating. There’s not much romance here either as once the female has laid her eggs the male just leaves her to it. of Tolpuddle. They also make life-long bonds, in fact even pairing up for a whole year before they breed, and I often see the couples companionably preening each other on the rooftops.

Out on the lakes and rivers of Dorset, there’s a lot more courting going on. Swans famously even make a heart shape with

One of the most special courtship rituals you might see, and Radipole Lake in Weymouth is a good place to go and try, is that of the great crested grebe. They have an elaborate face-to-face dance full of head tossing and bob preening – where they turn their heads to flick their back feathers with their bills. After much dancing and their bond strengthening, the grebes move on to the finale of the dance, the ‘weed ceremony’, where they come right out vertically, treading water on the surface, each with a mouthful of weeds. There are plenty of signs of love and courtship around this Valentine’s Day, perhaps you could change from the red roses and spread the love by getting your partner some pollen- and nectar-rich flowers for the waking bees or perhaps a nest box for those courting birds.